Water chestnuts are highly nutritious: sweet, juicy, low in fat and hydrating

The water chestnut, also known as the Chinese water chestnut or ground chestnut, is the underground corm of plants in the genus Eleocharis in the sedge family. Its skin is purplish-brown, its flesh is pure white, and its texture is crisp, tender and sweet, earning it the reputation of the "underground snow pear." It can be eaten raw as a fruit or cooked in dishes and desserts, making it a popular aquatic vegetable in winter and spring.

From a nutritional standpoint, the water chestnut's most notable feature is its high water content, offering a refreshing, thirst-quenching bite. It also contains carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and minerals such as potassium and phosphorus, along with a small amount of vitamin C. Its fat content is very low, and its calorie count is not high among root and tuber foods, making it a good choice for a daily snack in place of some junk food.

In terms of culinary uses, the water chestnut can be prepared in quite diverse ways. Peeled and eaten raw, it is crisp, refreshing and juicy; cut into chunks and boiled with sugarcane and snow pear, it makes a common soothing sweet soup; chopped and mixed into meat filling or meatballs, it adds a crisp texture; and the water chestnut cake made from water chestnut flour is a classic of Cantonese dim sum. Whichever way it is prepared, it brings a distinctive sweetness and crunch.

One thing to keep in mind is that water chestnuts grow in paddy soil, so their skins may carry parasite eggs or bacteria. If you want to eat them raw, be sure to wash and peel each one carefully; for people with weaker digestion, cooking them is the safer option. When selecting, choose ones with intact, unbroken skins that feel heavy in the hand. After buying, they can be stored with the mud still on in a cool place and taken out as needed, keeping the texture fresher.